Stylish, nice fit and good performance on warm days makes the Cervo Rosso Swiss Edition a standout jersey.

Cervo Rosso are relatively new to the pages of road.cc but the few garments we’ve tested from the Swiss company have been met with good reviews and a general thumbs up. This Swiss Edition jersey continues that trend. To remind you, Cervo Rosso is a Swiss company that get most of their clothing, including this jersey, made in Italy to very high standards. Cervo Rosso, if you’re wondering, is Italian for ‘red deer’.

It’s designed with an anatomical panel construction that provides a very good fit. It’s contoured to shape around the torso well, the fabric sitting close to the body and there’s little excess fabric to bunch up. It’s all very snug and comfortable.

I tested the medium and wouldn’t describe the fit as the most racey, but it’s certainly nudging closer to that side of the fence than more generously cut jerseys.

The comfortable fit is extended to the sleeves, which end with large elasticated bands that placed just enough pressure on the arms to keep them in place with no sign of them riding up during testing.

Breathable

Cervo Rosso use fabrics from fellow Swiss-based company Eschler. It’s highly breathable stuff, moving sweat away from your skin, or base layer, very effectively, so as to keep you dry on a hot summer day. It’s reasonably stretchy stuff too, which helps with the good fit.

There are three pockets out back and they’re a good size. The jersey is well designed so that you can stuff the pockets with food and spares and they don’t sag down over your bum. There’s also a zipped fourth pocket, ideal for stashing safely your house keys.

That just leaves the styling. Most of the Cervo Rosso kit we’ve tested previously has been understated and classy, but this jersey strikes an altogether bolder look with the chunky white bands that criss-cross the jersey. I’ve had people mistaking it for a Castelli jersey on a number of occasions - there is a similarity in the logo from a distance - which isn’t a bad comment.

Verdict

A distinctive jersey with an excellent fit and fabric that works well to keep you dry on hot days.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Cervo Rosso Swiss Edition jersey - Test Team Issue

Size tested: Medium, black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Following months of R&D and extensive road testing we have incorporated a new anatomical panel construction providing more movement though the upper torso and a contoured fit thanks to the inclusion of body mapping technology. The Test Team issue maintains the slightly longer aero sleeves and full length zips. New side panels are constructed from a light well ventilated mesh fabric to provide better ventilation in high performance conditions.

Additional enhancements from our current STRADA and CORSA range of jerseys include an extra fourth zipped pocket for cards and coins and a rear elasticated waist band. Finishing off the jersey is a stunning fabric from Swiss textiles innovators, Eschler. The fabric chosen has been tried and tested in the skin suits of the Australian mens time trial, a pedigree of performance riders we are very confident in!

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Body mapping Technology

NEW anatomical panel construction

Incorporating Swiss fabrics by Eschler

Ventilated lateral panels

Full length hidden zip

Fourth rear zipped pocket

Made in Italy

Rate the product for quality of construction:

8/10

Very well made jersey, the quality of construction shows

Rate the product for performance:

8/10

Fit is great, and the fabric works really well at keeping you dry

Rate the product for durability:

8/10

No concerns so far

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:

8/10

The fabric is soft and there's a bit of stretch to it, and the fit ensures it hugs the body comfortably

Rate the product for value:

8/10

There's plenty of choice at this price, and the jersey makes a good alternative to other more popular brands

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The fit

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not a fan of the styling, but that's a very personal thing

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31 Height: 180 Weight: 67

I usually ride:My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

..once you've tried it, there is a distinct difference to many British made garments. Rapha (although possibly not made in Britain), is a British brand...and the price/quality is similar...if not better...

Holy cow how many logos can one put on a single garment? You shouldn't need all these if the brand had a real identity.. They've ripped off Rapha's website why not look at the style of the garments and be more subtle. Vulpine for instance.

Not for me…

Also cheap rear zip looks a bit botched.

Agree with The_Kaner, you can get better quality and pay less at Rapha

I was thinking more of the british companies that make in the UK like Lusso and Shutt and get rave reviews in the cycle mags. I realise Rapha clothing isnt made in the UK and I just think its a far cooler and more exclusive to ride in British made kit and not look like the 25 wiggo's you see on every ride

Miscellaneous

Tools and workshop

Here's how we roll at road.cc: every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a real insight into whether it works or not. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective, and we strive to ensure that all opinions expressed are backed up by facts, but reviews are always a reviewer's informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores. It reflects both a product's function and value. Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad. Here's what they mean: